Respiratory Disorders Among Workers in Slaughterhouses
Safety and Health at Work
; : 84-88, 2017.
Article
in En
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-156660
Responsible library:
WPRO
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Workers in slaughterhouses are exposed to a wide range of biological contaminants, such as bacteria and fungi, due to their working environment. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of respiratory disorders among workers in slaughterhouses.METHODS:
This study was conducted on 81 workers in slaughterhouses and 81 healthy office workers as a reference group. The American Thoracic Society standard respiratory symptoms questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of respiratory disorders. Besides, lung function tests were conducted using a calibrated spirometer at the beginning (preshift) and at the end (postshift) of the 1st working day. Single-stage Anderson sampler was used to measure the concentration of bioaerosols in different parts of slaughterhouses.RESULTS:
The prevalence of respiratory disorders, such as cough, productive cough, breathlessness, phlegm, and wheezing, was 3.17, 4.02, 3.07, 4.66, and 3.94 times, respectively, higher among workers in slaughterhouses compared with the reference group.CONCLUSION:
The prevalence of respiratory disorders was significantly higher among workers in slaughterhouses. Thus, the significant reduction in the percentage predicted lung function among workers in slaughterhouses might be associated with exposure to bioaerosols in their work environment.Key words
Full text:
1
Index:
WPRIM
Main subject:
Respiratory Function Tests
/
Bacteria
/
Respiratory Sounds
/
Prevalence
/
Abattoirs
/
Cough
/
Dyspnea
/
Fungi
/
Lung
Type of study:
Prevalence_studies
Language:
En
Journal:
Safety and Health at Work
Year:
2017
Type:
Article